A sufferer of a debilitating lifelong illness is unhappy at the lack of disability parking on offer to local shoppers in a busy high street.

Caroline Smith lives in Greenhithe and travels to Dartford to do her weekly shop at Iceland in Market Street.

Caroline has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis which affects sufferers in different ways, from fatigue and difficulty walking to severe muscle stiffness and spasms.

Changes to the road layout as part of the ongoing £4.3m Dartford Town Improvement Works have meant parking has been reduced from a full car park to just three temporary bays.

Caroline, a teacher at a local college, often has to park in the next nearest parking facility, a ten-minute walk away at the Orchard Shopping centre, and walk down multiple flights of stairs.

Long walks heaving heavy bags of shopping back to her car have caused her condition to worsen.

She said: "The argument will obviously be I should just shop elsewhere in Dartford at supermarkets with adequate parking. But I want to be as independent possible.

"I don't hide away from my illness and don't like to label myself. I don't want to be treated any differently - I just want to be able to shop where I want to."

Last week the Department for Transport unveiled plans to roll out its Blue Badge scheme to cover those with so-called 'invisible illnesses', including those with mental health problems as well as digestive disorders such as Crohn's disease.

These permits help badge holders access goods and services by allowing them to park closer to their destination.

Councils will be responsible for the roll-out of the scheme and allocating the Blue Badge to residents.

Caroline does not currently hold a Blue Badge but says she sometimes 'feels like a fraud' when using allocated disabled toilets.

"My illness is not immediately obvious. I'm classified as disabled but you have to fulfil certain conditions to be eligible for a Blue Badge," she said.

Market Street is currently under development to create a civic space outside the Iceland store linking the High Street with Central Park, the Acacia complex and a mixed use development to the south of the town centre.

The works are not scheduled for completion until 2020.

It is hoped this change combined with the ongoing regeneration works in Hythe Street between the High Street and Westgate Road will ease congestion along the town's major bus and commuter routes.

Caroline received a fine for parking on unclear double yellows lines outside the Iceland which she contested with Dartford Council, explaining her condition but to no avail.

She said: "I don't think the council provides good value for money. People I speak to are upset because these development works are going ahead with little say so from the people who live there.

"The council are exploiting people and their hard earned money and they should be accountable to someone."

Dartford council leader Jeremy Kite said: "I do regret and apologise for the inconvenience caused. We looked at all sorts of ways to minimise disruption and this was the best option while the town carries out its improvement works. Having said that we have a lot of parking spaces already available."

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